A recent Washington Post piece on Black aptly described him as “John McCain’s man in Washington,” a “longtime uber-lobbyist” and “political maestro” who hopes “to guide his friend, the senator from Arizona, to the presidency this November.”

Now comes a Fortune magazine article that, even more aptly, notes the “startling candor” with which Black discussed how a spotlight on national security would serve McCain’s political purposes.

[…]

Then, the longtime political pro got a bit too honest. Asked about the political impact of another terrorist attack on U.S. soil, Black replied: “Certainly it would be a big advantage to him.”